Moving Right Along

While it’s fun to contemplate Sound Transit’s latest plan to take us from one end of downtown to the other and then on to Everett or Portland or Enumclaw or wherever communities will let them build, at Sound Transit’s pace we’ll all have jet packs by the time they finish building–and even then the tracks will stop in the middle of Green Lake.

So allow me to think outside the box and offer a plan to remove the gridlock.

My plan will reduce downtown automobile exhaust to virtually zero. It will get people to where they want to go without any waiting time at all. It will totally do away with traffic, increase commerce, and make Seattle a true jewel in the pantheon of world-class cities.

That’s right; we convert a goodly part of the downtown area–from Virginia to Jackson Streets, from Western to Seventh Avenues–to a series of moving sidewalks. Think of going from gate C1 to gate C27 in the airport; now, transfer that to going from Pioneer Square to Westlake Center.

Some of the sidewalks can be installed in the existing tunnels, and the rest are above ground. Everywhere. With varying speed lanes, just like the highway. You want to lollygag and window-shop? No problem: You stay on the outside lane, where you travel maybe two miles an hour and step off when you see a sale. You want to get quickly from Fifth and Cherry to First and Pike? Again, no problem: You move, lane by accelerating lane, into the inside speed lane, where you travel maybe twenty miles an hour. There are no lights or stop signs, since it’s relatively easy to elevate one sidewalk slightly above another at intersections. And there are regularly placed exit and entrance ramps for when you want to change directions.

You can walk on the moving sidewalk, or you can stand, or you can sit in a chair, or you can lounge on a couch. Thirsty? Walk up a bit and get a mocha from a local barista. Want to know what’s going on around town? Wait till you pass a newspaper vendor. Everyone’s riding the Belt. The sidewalks move in eternal loops, with neither beginnings nor ends.

Picture it: No gas-powered vehicles–just like in Venice or Copenhagen. The only exceptions are ambulances, fire trucks, and other emergency vehicles. No noise, no fumes, no smog. People reading, listening to music, talking with one another, actually looking at the city as they traverse it. It’s all the comforts of a train without the noise. It’s all the benefits of walking without the compulsion to walk when you’re tired. It’s got to be cheaper than the plans now on the drawing board. And it’s infinitely healthier than any of them.

We can make use of the existing tunnels. We don’t have to retrofit buses; in fact, we can probably sell some of them. We don’t have to worry about parking. We eliminate vehicle-pedestrian accidents. And think of the cool slogans: “Seattle–A Moving Experience!” “Seattle–Hop On!” “Seattle–Take a Walk on the Wild Side!” “Seattle–Above the Belt!”

What about people entering the city from the suburbs? No problem. The downtown core can be surrounded by “Park ‘n’ Walks,” with easy access to the moving sidewalks from all directions. What could be easier? You drive in from Mercer Island, or Burien, or wherever, you park your car, and you step onto the belt. It’s like Disneyland! Well, without the rides and stuff.

So, Seattle, think about it. We’ve got a reputation to uphold as the country’s smartest municipality. Let’s put those smarts to work and tell the world that we don’t need no stinkin’ automobiles. We can be a city of people on the move.